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Friday, 10 May 2013

David Bowie - a voice in the wilderness?

Christians can get a bad press. In a way believers can’t win
because if we complain we are simply written-off as a whinging, easily offended
minority.

Take David Bowie’s new music video ‘The Next Day’. The video is already causing controversy in some circles
because it features that constant favourite of the arts – the stereotypical
corrupt Christian leader. And because David Bowie appears in the video as a Christ-like figure.

The video starts off with a priest hitting a child beggar before
attending a shady church/club to try to satisfy his sexual urges. Things have moved on
a little since Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer’
or Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’. These
days, because we are ‘sooo very sophisticated’, we are treated to scenes of a
woman with blood-spurting stigmata.

Bowie appears in the video dressed in
sackcloth like a modern day prophet, or even like Christ.

Bowie’s song lyrics make the message of ‘The Next Day’ plain:

“They live upon their
feet and they die upon their knees

They can work with
Satan while they dress like the saints

They know God exists
for the devil told them so.”

And to be fair it is only the Christian leaders who Bowie is
attacking. Because in art, film and media it tends to be the Christian leaders
who get most of the flak - perhaps because they are the ones with greater power
and responsibility. When this power is abused then singers, writers and artists get angry.

But it wouldn’t be fair to say it’s all bad press for
Christians (or to whinge too much!). Coming out on Monday 13th May
is the DVD, Blu-Ray and digital version of ‘Les
Miserables’. The hit film/musical features a positive, likeable Christian
hero who actually practices what he preaches. You could say the original story was written over
150 years ago - but that really would be whinging! I’ve heard so many people
from all backgrounds say they love this film.

Maybe David Bowie (the 'man who fell to earth') really feels
he is the voice in the wilderness confronting the hypocrisy of the Church. His
message is a lucrative one which many people want to hear. But it isn’t
necessarily the truth.